Improvement in marine signal-lamps



1?'. J. DENNIS. Marine-Signal Lamp'.

No. 221,538. Patented Nov. I1, 1879..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. DENNIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. IMPROVEMENT IN MARINE SIGNAL-LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22|,53S, dated November11, 1879; application filed October 17, `1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. DENNIS, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of 1llinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement inMarine Signal-Lamps, which is fully described in the followingspecification, reference bein g had to the accompan yin g drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents an elevation of a lamp embodying 1nyimprovemen ts, a port-ion of the reflector and top being broken away;Fig. 2, a similar view of the same, the upper portion being turned backat its hinge and the top broken away 5 Fig. 3, a plan view of the bottom and oil-pot, a portion of the top of thelatter being broken away;Fig. 4, a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the linea: x, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detail elevation on an enlarged scale of aportion of the reflector 5 and Fig. 6, aseetion of the same, taken onthe line y y, Fig. 5.

The object of my invention is to adapt a marine signal-lamp to the useof hydrocarbon oils, and to this end to apply what is known in ordinarylamps and lanterns as the tubular principle.

The invention consists in dividing the tubes, whereby they are adaptedto be used with a lamp having a hinge-connection between the bottom andupper portion.

It also consists in providing a small plane surface on the exterior ofthe refracting-lens, through which the burner may be distinctly seen toadjust the wick.

It also consists inval-ions special features of construction and specialcombinations, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, anddelinitely pointed out in the claims.

Signaldamps of the class above named are exposed in the open air, andare therefore subject to. very high winds. In applying the tubularprinciple of construction to these lamps I have found, therefore, thatthe ordinary construction of bottom used in lanterns having a removableoil-pot is not adapted to these lamps, for, unless the joint between theoil-pot and bottom is perfectly air-tight when exposed to high winds, asufficient quantity of air will enter to-seriously interfere with thecontinuous supply of air to the burner; but to make this joint air-tightwould be almost impossible, and in any event very expensive. I thereforemake the bottom and oil-pot in one piece, and hence am obliged to hingethe upper portion of the lamp to the bottom in order to fill the lampand reach the wick, and in order to accomplish this I divide the tubesat about the same point.

In the drawings, A represents the bottom of the mlamp, and B theoil-pot, which is rigidly secured to the bottom in any well-known way.

The upright rim or casing a of the bottom is perforated for somedistance below the upper edge, so as to permit air to enter into theannular space between it and the oil-pot.

The oil-pot is provided with an air-chamber below7 the burner, in a wayso well known in tubular lamps and lanterns as not to require specialdescription here.

The burner C is supplied with air from this chamber in the usual way,and the lower ends of feeding-tubes D open into it, as usual in tubularlamps and lanterns.

That portion of the lamp above the oil-pot is hinged to the bottom bymeans of a band, E, which is connected to the bottom by a hingejoint, e.Tlie lower portion of this band is provided with an outwardly-projectingange, E', below and within which the lower edge of the band projectsslightly to form a flange, c', which tits inside of the casing a. rEheglobelens F is seated in this band, and is surrounded by an ordinaryguard, G. This globe is an ordinary Fresnel lens, and is plain orcolored, as may be desired.

In the top of the lamp is a bell, II, like that shown in Letters PatentNo. 73,012, granted to John H. Irwin January 7 1868, which is at thelower end of a tube, h, with the upper end of which the upper ends ofthe feed-tubes D connect, as in said patent. The top of the lamp is openand surmounted by a delleetingplate, I, which operates as an ejector.

In order to permit the hinging of the upper portion of the lamp to thebottom, as above described, the feed-tubes D are divided near the bottomof the lamp, so that one section, d, will be' attached to the upperportion, and

another section, d', to the bottom ofthe lamp, the joint between the twobeing close-fitting, so as to preventJ the entrance of air at thispoint. As this is very ditlicnlt to accomplish, however, I construct thejoint in a peculiar manner, so as to prevent any unfavorable etfectsfrom the small qnantityof air which may be forced in at these joints invery high winds. Around the upper end of the lower section is a collar,K, the face ot which is inclined upward or beveled, as shown in 1"ig.4ofthe drawings. A similar collar, K', is placed on the lower end of theupper section, beveled so as to tit over the collar K. The klower endofthe upper sections projects slightly below the collar, so as to enterthe lower sections a short distance, as shown in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings.

Now, in the first place. this joint is so close that very little airwill enter under any circumstances; but it` any is driven in between thetwo collars, it strikes against. the projecting end dz of the section1,hy which it is turned downward into the tube, as shown by arrows inFig. 4, and is carried along with the regular descending current in thetubes, and

hence will produce no injurious effect. It' the parts of this ioint werereversed, however, it

is evident that the air coming in would be turned upward, therebytending to produce an upward exhaust-current in the tubes, which wouldput ont the light.

The sections of the tubes are securely fasti ened by suitable bracketsto their respective divisions of the lamp.

purpose of setting the tubes as far back at one side of the lamp aspossible, so as to leave the leus free and unobstructed in front and asfar back on the sides as possible.

In those signallamps in which a Fresnel lens is used the peculiarconstruction ot' the latter makes it impossible to see the burnerdistinctly, so as to determine whether the wick is at the proper height.To obviate this diiiculty, I grind a small portion ot the exterior ofthe lens, so as to make a small plane surface, f, at one side of thelamp, through which the light can bc distinctly seen, as in an ordinarylantern.

It will be seen from this description that the lamp will operate uponthe well-known tubular principle, as set t'orth in the abovementonedpatent and others granted to John H. Irwin, the supply ot' fresh airfrom the feeding-tubes heilig kept up through the perforations in thecasing of the bottom.

The wick-adjuster is shown in the drawings as arranged within the lampso as to be operated only when the top is turned back; but instead ofthis it may be arranged to extend down and project through the bottom ofthe lamp iu a way that is well known, so that it may be operated withoutopening the lamp.

They are also bent g' backward at the side of the lamp, as shown at d3in the drawings, these bends being for the l 0f course the upper partmust be turned back to fill the oil-pot and trim the wick, and for otherlike purposes, and to permit this the clasp for fastening the two partstogether should be made simple and readily detachable.

An ordinary clasp, L, is shown in the drawings; but any fasteningsuitable for the purpose may be employed.

The two parts ot' the lamp may be connected in some other way than by ahinge. though the latter is preferable, for convenience, as the parts ofthe lamp are then never entirely disconnected.

It is evident that this improvement of dividing the feed-tubes may alsobe applied to x other lamps and lanterns than those specially lmentioned herein. A

I am aware that heretofore in lamps or lauterns of the tubular style theentire top of the air-receiving chamber has, in some instances, beenmade removable, and the supply-tubes, being rigidly connected t0 thistop, are also removable therewith. I do not claim this construction, andit is evident that it is not practically applicable tothe particularkind of lantern herein described and shown. Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Ina tubular lamp or lantern, an upper section carrying the globe orchimney and i the air-feeding tube or tubes, in combination with anindependent lower section, hinged or otherwise detachably connected tothe upper section, and containing the burner and an airreceivingchamber, having au inlet or inlets with which the feed tube or tubes ofthe upper section register, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a tubular lamp or lantern, the base or 1 bottom A, in one piecewith the oil-pot, in i combination with the upper or globe sectionhinged thereto and the divided or sectional feed-tubes D, substantiallyas described. 3. The joint-collars K K', beveled as described, incombination with the lower tubesections, d', and the upper sections, d,the l lower ends of which are arranged to extend into the latterslightly when closed, substantially as described.

4. The feed-tubes D, provided with the backward bends d at the top andbottom of the lamp. substantially as described.

5. In a signal'lamp, the globe Fresnel lens t provided with a smallplane surface, f, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDERICK J. DENNIS.

Witnesses:

L. A. BUNTING, JN0. C. MACGEEGOR.

